1. Field of the Invention
The use of nonnutritive sweeteners has grown to unprecedented levels in recent years. Because of the controversy and emotion owing to the implied safety risk associated with their use by a large segment of the population, research has been progressing at a brisk pace to find more acceptable products. This invention relates to the production of a nonnutritive sweetener by fermentation of readily available agricultural commodities.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Traditionally, the standard for sweeteners is sucrose. The more a compound resembles sucrose, the more acceptable it is to the general public. Many substances reported to be sweet have strange, nonsucrose-like flavors. Furthermore, sweetness may coexist with other tastes such as licorice or menthol. Some compounds have a lingering bitter flavor or aftertaste, others a persistent long-acting sweet taste. Sucrose solutions have a mouthfeel that cannot readily be duplicated. In addition, sucrose adds bulk or structure to solid products such as baked goods, viscosity to beverages and syrups, and functions as a weak antimicrobial agent in jams and jellies by increasing osmotic pressure.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,262,032, Levin teaches that L-altrose is a nonnutritive sweetener. Since L-altrose is a sample, six-carbon sugar, it would be expected to have many of the desirable characteristics of sucrose which are lacking in nonsugar sweeteners. Moreover, it would be expected to be safe for human and animal consumption. However, synthesis of this sugar, which has not previously been found in nature, requires a sequence of chemical reactions with low overall yields. Until now, there has been no report of an alternative method for L-altrose production offering promise for economically feasible commercial production.